


Firsts (For Everything)

by lichtenstrange



Series: Not-A-Circus AU [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M, TECHNICALLY IT IS A SLOW BURN??, aerial dancer!isa, but we don't experience the time drag, fire dancer!lea, ienzo breifly, kinda??, not-a-circus au, this is an au i love and adore, we skip to the good bit, xemnas briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 01:50:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20649236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lichtenstrange/pseuds/lichtenstrange
Summary: Fire Dancer Lea meets new recruit Aerial Dancer Isa(An au where Organisation XIII is a performance group of theatrical fighting)First sighting // First meeting // First kiss





	Firsts (For Everything)

_ Sweat _

_ Lighter fluid _

_ Flames licking gently at his arms _

_ Swift, precise, confident movements _

_ Backwards, forwards, around and around and around… _

It was an art Lea had perfected, with the scars on his arms to prove it. Ever since he was young he had wanted nothing more than to take control of an element. Command it. Fire fascinated him, it's flickering state and dangerous form. To wield it like it was nothing to be feared satisfied him.

_ The finale _

Here he would light the whole stage on fire, throwing his poi with force into the carefully laid streams of lighter fluid. Oh how he loved hearing the crowd gasp as he was seemingly engulfed in flames before their eyes. But this was only a practice. That was saved for the main show. For now, he doused his poi and left the area. Scorch marks left as evidence to his performance.

Passing by the stage entrance, Lea saw Demyx and Ienzo standing backstage watching something.

"What are you guys watching?"

"New guy. He's performing for the boss," Demyx's eyes were glued to the performer, only tilting his head slightly to Lea to acknowledge him.

"New guy, huh? Didn't know we were hiring." He moved closer, standing just between the two watching on.

"Apparently he used to perform with another group, but after an accident he left. Been doing solo side gigs ever since "

Lea didn't really hear what Ienzo just said, immediately captivated by the man hanging from the ceiling. He was suspended in the air on two long silks, swiftly and delicately wrapping them around his body. Not only was Lea in awe at his actions, the glimpses he caught of the man's face had his chest feeling like he too was suspended mid air. Beautiful blue hair in a bun, concentration clear on his face. Lea was so occupied taking in the dancer that the moment the man dropped his heart stopped.

"JESUS CHRIST!" He threw his hands up, probably experiencing some form of heart attack as the dancer continued spinning and wrapping himself in the silks.

"THAT was impressive," said Demyx. "Couldn't pay me to do it, but that was damn impressive."

"HE JUST FELL A GOOD FEW FEET! LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!"

"Yes, we saw."

"But who the fuck does shit like that?!" Lea never thought much on high air performances, his preference being 'feet firmly on the ground at all times'.

"A man with no fear, clearly!" Demyx couldn't help but laugh at Lea's continued reaction to the aerial dancer. "Well. I think he's in. Boss looks impressed so I'd say he's definitely in for sure." Ienzo nodding in agreement. The two of them left the area, changing conversation topic as they left Lea behind to continue watching. He stood there on the side as the dancer finished off the routine with a slow spin, one leg stretched out and his arms raised to the side. He heard the deep bass of his boss’ voice praise the dancer on his performance. As he should.

Maybe there is some appeal to aerial dancing.

//

He was nervous about the audition, hoping he had enough to impress the man in charge. Isa had missed performing with a group, deciding to look around and found this performance group. ‘Organisation XIII’. Specialising in theatrical fighting and extreme elemental performance. He contacted the man in charge, taken aback by the deep bass of his voice. A time was arranged and Isa came in and showed off what he could do. A round of applause and a pat on the back and Isa was officially welcomed into the group. 

“Feel free to wander about and meet the others. Some of them come across a little prickly, but don’t mind them. I’m sure you’ll fit in here very well,” said Xemnas. Meeting him for the first time Isa could definitely make sense of the baritone voice on the phone. He certainly looked the part. “Come find me before you leave, I should have the paperwork sorted soon.”

So for the past couple of hours, Isa traversed the building, meeting various members of the group. There was the somewhat obnoxious lady and pink-haired man, a guy with an eyepatch who rubbed Isa the wrong way, a man with dreadlocks and giant chest, a guy who looked liked he was spat out of a glam-rock concert. But now he came across someone very different from the rest of them.

Isa watched as a man with red hair spun a long stick covered in flames with ease, not flinching one moment as he moved the fire close to his face. He’d never actually taken the time to watch other fire dancers he performed by, only ever focusing on his own work. Fire was dangerous, sharp. But watching this guy move with the staff across his back and chest, up and down his arms, spinning it around like a windmill in a hurricane…

Absolutely entranced. Isa couldn’t pull his gaze away, noticing the lack of hardened concentration on the mans face. It was almost as if this came as easy as breathing to him. Until he realised he had an audience. Lea stumbled when he saw the new guy watching him, missing his catch and dropping the baton on the ground. Nothing flammable there, thankfully.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Isa came forward, hoping he didn’t cause him to get hurt.

“Nah, just missed the catch is all.” Lea extinguished the flames, wiping his hands on his pants before offering one to Isa. “Lea. I’m a fire dancer.”

“Isa. Aerial silks and lyra.” Isa took his hand, feeling the slightly roughened skin. “Can’t say I’ve really taken much notice of fire dancing. I’m not exactly the most confident around it.”

“Yeah it’s definitely an acquired taste.” He had a nice smile, Isa thought. Freckles. Bright green eyes. It would be cheesy to say they were like emeralds but he couldn’t help the thought pass through his mind. “Was kind of a pyromaniac delinquent as a kid. This was the best way to channel that energy.”

“Well you’ve certainly mastered that.”

“Not without a few mistakes first,” Lea raised his arms to show off the burns. “Thankfully I haven’t burned myself in a very, very long time. What about you? Can’t say I’m particularly interested in hanging from heights.” Isa took a breath, wondering how to put it in words.

“I suppose I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was studying business at college, but I just felt… I don’t know. Empty? Lost? Anyway it wasn’t what I wanted to do. One day I saw this group performing at a fair in town. There was a lady doing aerial silks, blue hair like mine. Just seeing her doing all that caught my attention and I thought ‘I want to do that. I’d like to try at least’,” he sighed. “So I did. Been doing it for years ever since. It’s freeing. This sense of weightlessness.”

Lea watched as Isa spoke, able to get a closer look at him. His hair was out of the bun now, showing a beautiful longer length. Eyes caught between green and blue, icey and welcoming. And between those eyes a scar in the shape of an X. It looked fairly faded, but it probably had a story behind it. Tied all together, Lea thought him very elegant.

“Yeah, not gonna lie. I’m more of a ‘feet on solid ground’ kinda guy,” he laughed.

“I’d be happy to teach you some basic things if you wanted? Some easy basics.” Isa offered. It was tempting. Very tempting.

“Only if you let me teach you some fire moves. Deal?”

“Deal.”

//

"Okay, now wrap your leg around again. No no the other way."

Considering how soft and smooth the silks were, Lea was surprised how an entire human could suspend themselves in them by simply wrapping it around their foot. The hoop was one thing, but trying to get him into the silks took Isa a few months of convincing. It had been funny that first day watching Lea gather his nerves to try them for the first time. This was a man who had no problem holding fire in his mouth, and yet the thought of being held mid-air by two hanging strips of fabric had him sweating more than when he was surrounded in flames.

"You know," Lea huffed, "I'm already exhausted, mentally and physically, just trying to do this.  _ How  _ do you just climb up to the top and just drop? Actually, more like  _ why _ do you climb up to the top and just drop?" Isa laughed, watching Lea's legs shake in their wraps. He found it amusing how expressive he could be with his face, seeing Lea's eyebrows scrunch together as he focused on his movements.

Isa picked up on Lea's quirks and habits over the months. How openly he showed his expressions, scratching his hair when nervous or shy, that small endearing smile like when they first met. Isa told himself it was just an infatuation, nothing more. Lea just happened to be a good looking guy who was friendly and was one of the only ones whose company he actually enjoyed, nothing more. Well, that's what he kept telling himself for two and a half months. After that he realised he was screwed.

"When you swallow your fire, or end your performance with that big blaze, what goes through your mind?" He asked.

"Well, it's the thrill of it I suppose", Lea replied. "The adrenaline, that shock I hear from the audience."

"Exactly. One more wrap around your legs. They don't expect such a dramatic move to happen, and to the untrained eye it's frightening. For someone to have such faith in their ability, judgement, and equipment to do it is just a part of what captivates the audience. I quite enjoy the drops."

Lea looked to Isa, seeing a small smile form while thinking about his dancing. He was sat on his moon hoop, lowered to practice on before Lea attempted the silks again. He looked like he belonged on the moon. The real moon. Ever since they first met Lea couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful he was. Isa had spoken about how he was self-conscious about the scar he got from an old stage accident, but Lea thought it enhancing. If it weren't for it, his eyes would be beyond entrancing, getting lost in them until he expired. Lea often wondered if Isa's hair felt as soft as the silks.

"Okay," Isa slid off the moon hoop and approached Lea. "Now you're going to move your upper body back and your legs forward. You can keep your knees slightly bent and hold with your hands if you want."

"You really think I can just do this?" Isa laughed at him.

"Yes you can. You're not going to fall, and I'm here to catch you if you somehow do." He moved his hands close to Lea, but not quite touching. Lea slowly moved at Isa's direction, doing his best to not completely chicken out.

_ Slowly _

_ Calm _

_ Loosen hand grip _

"There you go. You can open your eyes now." Lea hadn't even realised he'd closed his eyes until Isa said that. Opening them he saw how close Isa had come over, now face to face with him. Until the silks shifted from his movement.

"You know, this would be a lot better if they didn't spin." Lea could feel his blood circulation go straight to his head.

"I need it to spin, otherwise they would get tangled!" Isa laughed. He gently spun Lea back around, coming eye to eye with him. He'd never been this close before. He could've sworn Lea had golden flecks in his striking green eyes. "Hello."

"Hi."

It would be so easy. To lean forward a little. What's the worst that could happen? A simple rejection, but with how well they got along it wouldn't affect their friendship. Would it? Considering this was a shared thought, neither realised that the other was also leaning in with the same intention.

_ Soft _

_ Delicate _

Isa felt the same butterflies he always got when swinging up high in the air. Absolute weightlessness. For Lea, it was like the first time he hit the stage stunning finale. A sense of achievement and adrenaline. The lightheadedness he factored down to being upside down. Maybe.

Who knows how long the kiss went for. Seconds, minutes. Moments they didn't care about outside of their one shared experience. But once it was over they looked at each other, wondering what would happen in the next moment from there. That moment was bravery from Lea, releasing his grip from the silks to hold Isa's face as he kissed him a second time, just as delicately.

Maybe trying new things wasn't so bad. Even if they were a little scary at first.

"YEAH! FINALLY!" Isa jumped back, giving Lea an upside down panic. "ABOUT TIME YOU TWO MADE OUT! THE TENSION'S BEEN DRIVING US NUTS!" Demyx shouted from the other side of the space, waving excitedly to the two standing by the equipment. "GLAD YOU'VE FINALLY TAKEN THAT STEP FORWARD. CONGRATULATIONS!" He left, giving them one final wave. "OH! BY THE WAY: LOVE THE WHOLE  _ SPIDERMAN _ THING GOING ON THERE!"

Isa looked to Lea, face flushed from embarrassment. Lea couldn't help but laugh. This normally poker faced guy completely caught off guard by being equated to a _Spiderman_ scene.

"Hey," he whispered. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," Isa nodded. "Just surprised you felt the same I guess."

"Likewise."

Once he was freed from the silks, they left the performance space. Who thought trying something new would lead to something so wonderful.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't give this AU enough love shoutout to my twitter pals for asking me about it because I miss it!!  
Head over to my twitter @LichtenStrange_ if you want more info on this au!


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